


Niffler Hunting

by xfsista



Series: 2011 Dramione Drabble Halloween [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: dramionedrabble, D/Hr, F/F, Halloween Challenge, Minor Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-31
Updated: 2011-10-31
Packaged: 2017-11-07 19:10:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/434406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xfsista/pseuds/xfsista
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Submission for Prompt 1 of the 2011Dramione Drabble Halloween Challenge.  Prompt 1 had to include any/all of the following:  Bats, Forest, Nifflers.</p><p>Winner for Prompt 1.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Niffler Hunting

On a stone bench in the Hogwarts courtyard, Draco sat alone under the moonlight. He could dimly hear music coming from the Great Hall where students were celebrating Halloween with a costume party. 

Draco hadn’t felt very much like celebrating. To be honest, he wasn’t really sure he was even invited. Being a former Death Eater had not done much to endear him to anyone. He had let the enemy into this very school and most of the student body was not even close to forgiving him. If it had been up to him, he wouldn’t have returned at all. However, his mother was insistent that he finish his final year properly. 

“Shit!” someone hissed behind him. He turned to see a girl in a black bodysuit with a long cape and a matching black mask. She had tripped over a raised flagstone and was now holding herself up against one of the stone pillars.

It didn’t take him long to figure out her identity. He would know that hair anywhere.

“Granger?”

She looked at him with surprise and straightened up. “Malfoy?”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m… um…” She waved her hand nonchalantly. “I’m going to the Forbidden Forest.” She said it casually as if it was a perfectly normal late night activity. 

Of course, she was a Gryffindor. Maybe moonlit strolls in scary forests _were_ a normal occurrence for her.

Still, he was curious. “Why?” 

With exaggerated movements, she tip-toed toward him. “Be vewy, vewy quiet. I’m hunting Nifflers.” She suddenly burst into giggles.

He couldn’t help laughing when he realized why she was acting so out of character. “You’re pissed!”

Her mirth ceased and she looked at him indignantly. “I’ll have you know that I’ve only had pumpkin juice!” There was a hint of a slur in her words.

“I hate to break it to you, Miss Priss, but I think it may have been spiked.”

She furrowed her brow in thought. “It did taste kind of funny.”

“So, Niffler hunting? Is it a solo activity?” He knew Granger could be barmy, but even this seemed a bit odd for her. 

“No. I’m supposed to meet Theo Nott.”

Whatever alcohol she had drank seemed to loosen her tongue considerably. Draco was fairly certain she would have never admitted to meeting a boy in the woods, especially not to him. 

He was also pretty sure her lack of inhibitions had kept her from thinking her actions through.

“Granger,” he spoke carefully, “I don’t think _Nifflers_ are what Nott is interested in.”

The expression on her face was genuine confusion. 

“When a man invites a girl to a dark, secluded place, it’s not for academic purposes,” he said very slowly as if talking to a child.

He watched her face fill with clarity and then horror. “Oh! But, Theo said--”

Draco gave her with a knowing look. 

Crossing her arms, she huffed. “That’s not very nice of him!”

“Don’t hold back, Granger.” The prim manner in which she was expressing her anger amused him. He looked her up and down before changing the subject. “What’s your costume supposed to be?”

Uncrossing her arms, she gripped the edges of her cape. “I’m Batgirl!” She flung the cape around her with flourish, unbalancing herself and nearly falling.

He instinctively held his hands out as if he was ready to catch her. “Maybe you should sit down.”

She gingerly sat on the bench next to him. He kept his hands up, spotting her in case she took a tumble.

They sat in somewhat comfortable silence, looking out over the grounds, dappled in pale light from the moon. He felt her gaze and turned to find her watching him.

“You have very pretty eyes,” she whispered. 

He stared at her in amazement. “I’m really going to have to find out what you had to dri --”

Her lips were warm and damp and completely unexpected. At first, they had slightly missed their target, landing just to the lower right of his mouth. Draco helped her out by lowering his chin and capturing her upper lip between his. Their tongues met briefly and he tasted the bitterness of alcohol. He pushed back on her shoulders. 

Disappointedly, Hermione looked down at her lap. “I’m sorry, I--”

“I’m not.”

Her eyes snapped back up at him. “You’re not?” Her tone was open and hopeful. It made his belly flip-flop.

Draco shook his head. “Granger, I want to kiss you, but I prefer to do so when you’re sober.”

“Really?” She bit her lip and when he nodded, she gave him a beauteous smile. It had been a long time since anyone had smiled at him and never like this. It gave him goose bumps and made warmth spread through his chest. 

It was nice.

He stood up and reached for her hand. “Come on. Let’s get you inside before the bats show up. They’ll think you’re their queen.” 

She chuckled and slid her fingers into his palm, allowing him to pull her up. He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and walked her to the Gryffindor tower.

“Happy Halloween, Malfoy.”

“Happy Halloween, Granger.”

Draco walked back to the Slytherin dorms with a bounce in his step. Maybe he would invite Granger to go Niffler hunting soon.

**Author's Note:**

>   
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> Award banner by [Dramione Drabbles](http://dramionedrabble.livejournal.com/profile) moderator [alexia_drake](http://alexia-drake.livejournal.com/profile).


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